Chris Jones is in Wales with Canada’s men’s soccer team for Tuesday’s friendly as it continues preparations for next year’s FIFAÂ World Cup.
Ismael Koné, Canada’s sometimes mercurial midfielder, looked down at his chest, as though his uniform might help him find the right words.Â
“I think it’s hard for me as a person to kind of show what I’m about,” he said. “I care about this jersey and this team more than anything.”
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During last Friday’s friendly against Romania, his passion was more negatively expressed. With Canada leading 2-0, but the home side starting to muster, head coach Jesse Marsch took Koné off in favour of the more defensively minded Nathan Saliba.
Koné unleashed his disappointment, headed to the bench, and then returned to Marsch for more, held back only by reserve goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
An emotional Koné did not speak to reporters after the game, which Canada won, 3-0, the first men’s victory in Europe since 2011. He walked to the bus with his black hood pulled down over his face and a team staffer’s arm around his back.
The 23-year-old was also not made available over the weekend when the team travelled from Bucharest to Swansea, where Canada will play Wales on Tuesday night.
He finally spoke on Monday, flanked by his coach. In an unusual reveal, Marsch had already said that Koné will start against Wales when a different manager might have punished him.
“Every game I play with the national team is a chance for me to give back for that trust,” Koné said.
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On the road with CanMNT in Wales
He’s an undeniable talent, a creative mover and distributor of the ball, and he’d played well before his removal against Romania. But his substitution, and his response to it, was a demonstration of his weakness as a player and his challenge as a man: He doesn’t always fit.
The Koné drama was heightened because of his high-profile clashes with Roberto De Zerbi, his club manager during a brief, unfortunate spell at Marseille. In February, midway through Koné’s first season with the French giants, he was loaned to Rennes, after De Zerbi said the Canadian “hasn’t shown me that he’s capable of being part of this project.”
Koné was next loaned to Sassuolo in July. Not long after, Marseille released internal documentary footage of a nearly physical fight between De Zerbi and Koné, after the manager expressed frustration with how many touches his player was taking during a drill.
“Call your agent,” De Zerbi shouted at Koné, their relationship seemingly forever severed.
Marsch, whose own playing career was sometimes marked by on-field temper, has been on a de-escalation campaign since last week’s game in Romania.Â
The two men sat down together shortly after the team arrived in Swansea.
“I always think it’s an opportunity for people to get stronger,” Marsch said. “I can say unequivocally that Ismael, after us talking, and really being able to understand each other, that we’re closer than we’ve ever been.”
Marsch later sat down for an exclusive interview with CBCÂ Sports.
“I have invested a lot in Ismael,” he said. “When he was upset about coming out, I wasn’t bothered.
“That’s part of being a human. We don’t always see things the same way. It’s easy to be a coach when things are black and white. But it’s the middle part, the colourful part, where the great reward is. That’s the truth about Ismael. He doesn’t think the same as the other guys. He is a little bit special.”
WATCH | 3-0 win is Canada’s first in Europe since 2011:
Canada easily shuts down Romania in friendly match
The incident was particularly striking because Marsch’s team has displayed an otherwise remarkable camaraderie. Not wanting to come off the field also, by default, means that you don’t want someone else to come on. Koné apologized to his teammates, and Saliba, his substitute, was among those quickest to forgive him.
“Ismael is really a good guy,” Saliba said. “He’s not a guy like this. We completely understand how it can happen. Every player has ambitions. It’s important to have ambitions.”
It’s also important for players to understand when their team’s ambitions come before their own. On Tuesday against Wales, Ismael Koné will have a chance to show what he’s learned during this all-important European window. He doesn’t need to fall in line, exactly. He needs to recognize that lines exist, and then find his place in the space between them.
